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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, June 18, 2002

Three athletic directors contacted for UH position

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i's athletic director search firm has asked at least three current ADs to consider the position.

Alabama-Birmingham's Herman Frazier, Montana's Wayne Hogan and New Mexico's Rudy Davalos have been approached by Eastman & Beaudine, the firm UH hired to help find a successor for the retiring Hugh Yoshida.

A seven-member delegation from UH, consisting of administrators and selection committee members, interviewed candidates over the weekend in Dallas, site of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics' annual convention.

Frazier, a former Olympian who has been Alabama-Birmingham's AD since October 2000, is apparently coming to Hawai'i after the convention, people familiar with the situation said. Frazier did not return repeated phone messages at his Dallas hotel.

Earlier, he told The Birmingham News: "They wanted to know if they could test my waters and see if I was available. At this point, I told them I don't know."

Frazier, 45, graduated from Arizona State, where he started as a graduate assistant coach in track and worked his way to senior associate athletic director for business and operations before taking the Alabama-Birmingham position.

He won gold and bronze track medals in relay events at the 1976 Olympics. He also was a member of the 1980 Olympic team.

Hogan, who has been at Montana since 1995, told The Advertiser that he had been contacted by Eastman & Beaudine, but would not elaborate.

Davalos said yesterday he declined an interview with Eastman & Beaudine, adding he had just received a two-year extension at New Mexico.

"I didn't feel like it was appropriate to interview for another job, but I do think (Hawai'i) is a great place," said Davalos, who completed his ninth year at New Mexico.

Eastman & Beaudine apparently is recommending candidates with athletic directorship experience. Bob Beaudine, president of the firm, has told candidates that those without AD experience are "long shots" to get the job, unsuccessful applicants said.

UH's choice to succeed Yoshida, who has announced he will retire when his contract expires in December, could be presented to the UH Board of Regents as early as Friday.